Two Auburn University students named Truman Scholarship finalists

AUBURN – Auburn University has two national finalist candidates for The Harry S. Truman Scholarship that prepares students for careers in government or public service.

Juniors Taylor Baronich and Scott Seitz, both members of The University Honors College, will be interviewed March 15 in Nashville by regional review panels that will judge leadership potential, intellectual ability and likelihood of “making a difference.” Scholarships of $30,000 will be presented this spring to 60 to 65 juniors, who will use the funds to attend graduate school.

“The Truman Scholarship is the most prestigious national scholarship for college juniors as it seeks to support students committed to pursuing a career devoted to public service,” said Paul Harris, associate director of The University Honors College. “This year, a total of 176 finalists were selected from 122 colleges and universities.”

Baronich of Jackson, Miss., is double-majoring in political science and Spanish. She is co-founder of Closing the Gap, a student organization that bridges the cultural and linguistic gap between Auburn students and the community’s Spanish-speaking immigrant population. Baronich currently works at the U.S. Department of State desk at The United Nations. She plans to pursue a career in immigration law working as a staff attorney for Catholic Charities on refugee and asylum issues.

Seitz, majoring in political science, is from Huntsville. He has been involved in many campus-wide organizations and has served as assistant director of elections for the Student Government Association and homecoming chair for Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society. Off campus, Seitz is the leader of a weekly Bible study at First Baptist Church of Opelika. He hopes to become a foreign service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The scholarship is endowed by The Harry S. Truman Foundation that was established by congress in 1975 as a memorial to the 33rd U.S. president. Truman scholars also get assistance with internship placement, graduate school admissions and career counseling. More information is available at http://www.truman.gov.